Volume contents
| List of names as written | Various modes of spelling | Authorities for spelling | Situation | Description remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CROMWELL'S WIT E. | Cromwell's Wit Do. |
Wm. Bishop Jas. Cochrane Esq |
010 About 20 chains W. by S. of Harburn Estate | This name applies to a small portion of a field on Harburn Estate traditionally said to mar[k] the spot where Oliver Cromwe[ll] planted his colours while res[ting?] in his victorious career throug[h] Scotland. As it is so rem[otely?] situated, the tradition is a[lmost?] lost, and the name is on[ly] retained as applying to a portion of the field west of the plantati[on.] A short distance south of th[is?] plantation, about 45 years ago [10 erased?]12[?] stone coffins were disco[vered] and about 5 years ago three were excavated. It is suppos[ed] they were deposited there by [the] Romans, during the time they o[ccupied?] the camp a mile southward |
| Site of CAMP [Cromwell's Wit] | See Transcriber's notes | 010 |
Continued entries/extra info
A second hand has written across the first five columns below Cromwell's Wit:
'On the west part of Hayfield estate there was a few years ago, the remains of an old camp known by the name of Cromwell-wit. This is now converted into a cornfield and it remains altogether uncertain whether the name was given as a mark of Cromwell's understanding in the choice of the situation or as a proof of his folly; although the last appears more probable' Sinclair's Stat. Acct vol. 18 P. 196
Transcriber's notes
Note that the List of Names column has CROMWELL'S WIT with no E. following.
In the Descriptive Remarks column 'long granite stone or boulder' has been scored out after 'This name applies to a' [see Cromwell's Stone].
Again the binding obscures some of the right hand side which has had to be reconstructed at times.
The number of stone coffins should probably read 12 rather than what appears to be 2, as 3 were later excavated. Page 109 later confirms this.
'Site of Camp' appears in brackets beneath Cromwell's Wit in the Orthography column and nowhere else.
Ordnance Survey - Midlothian county, OS Name Books - Midlothian county - Volume 26 - Parish of West Calder, OS1/11/26
This volume contains place name information from the parish of West Calder.
Ordnance Survey - Midlothian county
Ordnance Survey was established in the 18th century to create maps, surveys and associated records for the entirety of Great Britain. These records are arranged by county. This entry has been created to enable searching for Ordnance Survey records for the county of Midlothian, which is in the east of Scotland. The boundaries of the county were altered by the Boundary Commissioners in 1891.